Bilawal, Kishida vow to enhance bilateral relations

ISLAMABAD:

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday called on Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo and discussed with him matters of mutual interests.

The foreign minister conveyed greetings from the government and people of Pakistan, according to the Ministry of Foreign Office spokesperson.

During the meeting, both leaders expressed the desire to further enhance bilateral engagement and cooperation in different fields.

Separately, speaking at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) on the topic ‘Pakistan and Japan in the Asian context’, Bilawal said that by joining hands, Pakistan and Japan can create a robust and efficient infrastructure network, boost regional connectivity, enhance trade volumes not only between the two countries but also across the entire region.

The foreign minister said that while Pakistan and Japan were situated in different corners of the Asian continent, they shared important convergences in terms of their outlook and vision for the region.

“As a developing country facing serious economic and environmental challenges, Pakistan simply does not have time for the Cold War-style bloc politics that sadly seem to be making a comeback. We want to focus on delivering jobs and prosperity to our 230 million people – two-thirds of whom are below 30 years of age,” he said.

According to a statement issued by the FO spokesperson, the minister stated that they could only do this by leveraging their strategic location at the crossroads of Central and South Asia to foster economic connectivity and generate growth.

“This vision is the moving force behind our shift from geopolitics to geo-economics. This is not just a rhetorical change but is rooted in the realisation that business-as-usual is no longer an option,” he reiterated.

Bilawal said that they regarded the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as an important part of this vision for enhanced connectivity. Chinese investments in the power sector were a shot in the arm for Pakistan, when they were facing crippling electricity cuts across the country that had paralysed their industries, he opined.

He added that the opportunities created in Pakistan’s industrial, agricultural, and energy sectors as a result of CPEC and other Chinese projects were not exclusive to any one country.

“Japanese firms have experience of working successfully and profitably in Pakistan. Their expertise in building infrastructure is second to none,” he added.

He said the economic complementarities between Pakistan and Japan were vast and multifaceted and by capitalising on each other’s strengths, they could create a win-win situation, resulting in shared prosperity and growth.

“There is immense potential for collaboration in trade, investment, agriculture, infrastructure and services. Let us seize this opportunity to build stronger ties, promote bilateral cooperation, and forge a brighter future for our countries, the region, and the generations to come,” he added.

The foreign minister said Pakistan and Japan also shared another complementarity as both were littoral states with vital and far-ranging maritime interests.

Situated on the Indian Ocean Rim, he said, Pakistan had long been recognised as a stakeholder in the security of the Arabian Sea – as evidenced by the number of times Pakistan had been called on to lead the multinational Combined Task Force 150.

“Developing a blue economy is crucial to achieving Pakistan’s economic objectives. We hope to go a lot further in this area with Japan’s assistance,” he observed.

The foreign minister elaborated that Pakistan was cognisant that its aspirations for regional connectivity and trade would remain unfulfilled as long as lasting peace and stability in South Asia remained elusive.

“Pakistan’s position has always been clear: there can be no peace in South Asia until the region’s core dispute – that of Jammu and Kashmir – is resolved through dialogue and in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the principles of international law,” he stressed.

Pakistan had always been ready to work towards such a resolution, he said, adding that tragically, Pakistan did not have a partner for peace in South Asia.

“India is in the grip of a form of religious hysteria that has closed out any space for dialogue and diplomacy.”

While this was expected given the ideology of India’s ruling party, what was surprising – and disappointing, he said, was the silence of the international community on India’s oppression in Kashmir and its provocations against a much smaller neighbour.

About Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan and Japan had similar interests in Afghanistan – “both countries have stakes” in Afghanistan’s peace and stability. By aligning their efforts, he added, Pakistan and Japan could contribute to a stable, secure, and prosperous Afghanistan.

“Japan’s expertise in development assistance and Pakistan’ s geographical proximity to Afghanistan can create opportunities for joint efforts in providing humanitarian aid and promoting sustainable development,” he added.

For its part, he said Pakistan believed that patient and pragmatic engagement with the Afghan interim government was crucial to advancing the international community’s shared interests in the region – whether these related to securing Afghanistan’s counterterrorism cooperation, safeguarding Afghan women’s rights, or promoting political inclusivity within the Afghan government.

By leveraging their respective strengths and collaborating on regional initiatives, Pakistan and Japan could also catalyse the growth and development of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), he observed.

The foreign minister said their joint efforts could help foster closer cooperation, enhance regional stability, and unlock the untapped potential of the Saarc member countries, leading to shared progress and prosperity for the entire region.

But more than anything, the foreign minister said, Pakistan and Japan could contribute to and enrich the discourse on issues of regional importance – especially conflict resolution, poverty alleviation, climate change, and global health.

The devastating floods that wrought havoc and destruction across Pakistan last year reconfirmed that Pakistan was one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, he added. In the aftermath of this natural calamity, he added, Pakistan drew international attention to the plight of countries facing the brunt of climate change.

“We led the G77 countries in successfully pushing for the establishment of a ‘Loss and Damage Fund’ at the COP27 held in Sharm el-Sheikh in November 2022. We also co-hosted the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan with the United Nations earlier this year,” he said.

“We are thankful to Japan for joining the conference and for committing $77 million in assistance for post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation in Pakistan.”

As a result of these efforts, Bilawal said, Pakistan found itself playing an important role in shaping the global discourse on climate change.

He also expressed the hope that Japan would join efforts for getting the international financial institutions to play their role in helping disaster-prone countries build their own climate resilience.

“We also hope that Japan would urge the developed economies to fulfil their responsibilities towards developing countries that have a negligible carbon footprint but suffer disproportionately from the effects of climate change,” he added.